Climate change is not a distant threat. It is here now, reshaping our lives through more severe and frequent weather events and increasing uncertainty. But we are not powerless. We can act. In fact, we have a responsibility to act. Climate Action Week reminds us of that. It is all about bringing communities together with governments and organisations to highlight the urgency of the climate crisis and the work underway to build a cleaner, fairer and more sustainable future for us all. Climate action has been the focus of the Minns Labor Government since day one. We are facing the challenges in front of us head‑on, making the hard decisions and doing so guided by evidence. We are listening to community voices and taking practical action.

The Minns Labor Government has legislated the most ambitious climate targets in the State's history, including net zero emissions by 2050. We have established the Net Zero Commission to publicly track our progress. We have banned offshore oil and gas drilling, recognising that protecting our oceans is part of protecting our future. Construction is underway on our renewable energy zones, bringing $70 billion worth of investment and thousands of jobs to our State. But we also know climate impacts are not felt equally. That is why we are making sure that renters, families living in apartments and low-income households are not locked out of the clean energy transition. Our $25 million Solar for Apartment Residents program is expanding access to solar energy. Under Labor, New South Wales is not just catching up; it is leading the way on our country's clean energy transformation.

Climate Action Week also reminds us that it is not just governments that lead change; it is communities that turn policy into progress. The inner west community shows how local action—recycling, repairing, electrifying homes and reducing waste—works hand in hand with statewide reforms to drive real climate outcomes. I recently opened our new drive-through Return and Earn facility in Marrickville and visited the incredibly impressive TOMRA Cleanaway facility at Eastern Creek. Those sites demonstrate climate action in practice, with millions of bottles, cans and cartons diverted from landfill and turned into new products. Inner west residents have returned more than 255 million containers since the scheme began.

We are demonstrating steady and clear leadership across our community, with organisations like Reverse Garbage celebrating over 50 years of operation. Last year alone it diverted over 146,000 kilograms of materials from landfill and supported more than 10,000 participants through its education programs. The Inner West Sustainability Hub in Summer Hill has become a valuable resource for residents wanting to reduce waste and adopt more sustainable practices. It has workshops, repair sessions, composting initiatives and community education. That hub provides practical, evidence-based support for households. I regularly meet with amazing advocates from across my electorate, including people from organisations like Lock the Gate, who work to protect farmland, water resources and regional communities from the impacts of coal and gas extraction. We also recently had the Inner West Community Energy expo. That is neighbours helping neighbours to electrify their homes, understand their energy bills and install rooftop solar, providing free and practical advice.

The Minns Labor Government is delivering more electric vehicle charging infrastructure, improving public transport and expanding safe active transport options so that people are empowered to make those choices. Our Government is demonstrating clear, steady leadership. Compare that with the members opposite, who have mixed messages when it comes to climate. They might have created the renewable energy roadmap six years ago, but they are now crab-walking away from it, particularly west of the dividing range, while in the east they are cosying up to renewables. They say the transition is too fast in the west and too slow in the east. They tell one story to the city, and they say something very different to regional New South Wales. The fact is that our State cannot meet the challenge of the climate crisis with leaders who just want to blow in the wind. Our State needs certainty, consistency and a government like ours that is willing to make decisions based on evidence and the public interest, not political convenience.